They Also Served: A – F

Those Who Also Served (Surnames A to F):

The following are short biographies of the men of Ruskington who enlisted during the Great War with surnames beginning ‘A’ to ‘F’.

Remembered on this page are:

Lance Corporal 16050 Robert Warne ABRAHAMS

Lance Corporal 1063 John Richard AMBLER

Private 14918 Arthur Thomas BAKER

Private Cecil BEATTIE

Lance Corporal 3665 ? (George) Ernest BOSWORTH

2nd Lieutenant Frederick William BROWN

Private 241326 Arthur CAWDRON

Private Arthur Frank COCK

Corporal 964 Charles COCK, M.M.

Charles COOK

Private S4/090754 Joseph Henry CORBY

Private 6/10834 John CUTLER

Private 21058 Samuel DAYBLES

SCROLL DOWN – to read more about these Ruskington men.

Private 16050 Robert WARNE (Served as Pt. Robert Warne ABRAHAMS) – was the brother of Private 11488 Harry WARNE, 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, who Died of wounds on 11th July 1916.

Robert was the eldest the son of John Robert (Labourer) and Lucy Ann (nee Abrahams) Warne. He was born in Ruskington on 25 June 1884, and registered as Robert Abrahams. [See: Harry’s page – above – for more family details.]

In the June quarter 1907 (under the name Robert Warne Abrahams) Robert married Harriett Blandford, probably in All Saint’s Church, Ruskington. The 1911 Census (RG 14/20755) shows them living at Fulbeck Heath, Grantham, with a surname now spelled “WARN“. Robert was working as a “Waggoner On Farm” and they had two children, Harriett Elizabeth (born March quarter 1908 – but registered under the surname ‘Abrahams‘) and Robert William (born December quarter 1909, registered under the surname ‘Abrahams‘).

After enlistment and training in the 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, Robert’s Medal Index Card shows that he was posted to “The Balkans” with his Battalion on 12 December 1915.

This date coincides with the date the Battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli due to heavy losses from combat, disease and severe weather. From Gallipoli the Battalion was posted to Egypt in January 1916 and from there to France, arriving at Marseilles on 8 July 1916. Robert’s Battalion spent the rest of the War engaged in various actions on the Western Front.

N.B. Robert’s Service Number is only 57 away from another Ruskington man, Private 15930 William Christopher CUNNINGTON, his brother-in-law, also of the 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, who died in Gallipoli on 24 October 1915.

At the end of his Service Robert was transferred to “Class Z Reserve” which was authorised by an Army Order of 3 December 1918. There were fears that Germany would not accept the terms of any peace treaty, and therefore the British Government decided it would be wise to be able to quickly recall trained men in the eventuality of the resumption of hostilities.

The photograph of Robert’s medals (right) by courtesy of Christopher Warne, great nephew of Robert.

The 1939 Register shows Robert working as a ‘Farm Labourer‘ and living in the Council Houses, Dorrington with other members of his family. His wife, Harriett, had died in the December quarter 1921. Robert died in the Cleethorpes District, Lincolnshire in the September quarter 1970, aged 84.

Lance Corporal 1063 John Richard AMBLER – was born on 19 July 1883, the son of Edward (Grocer and Baker) and Emma (née Bones) Ambler. In 1901 (Census RG 13/3048) John was living on High Street South, Ruskington, with his older brother, William, and his younger brother and sister, Fred and Minnie.

By 1911 (Census RG 14/19755) the family had moved to 16 Lindum Avenue, Lincoln, where father, Edward, was working as a “Wood Machinist“, as was John. By 1915, however, the above newspaper report refers to John being the son of ‘ Mrs Ambler ‘ of Silver Street, Ruskington, as be then she was widowed. Edward had died, in July 1911, and is buried in Grave 56, Plot B, in Ruskington Cemetery, Old Plot.

John attested in the 16th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Bradford Pals), at Bradford, soon after War was declared on 28 September 1914. He stood 5ft. 8¼ ins. [1.73 m] tall, weighed 10 st. 0 lbs. [63.5 kgs.] and had blue eyes, brown hair and a ‘fresh’ complexion. At the time of the above article he was training on Salisbury Plain.

On 6 December 1915 John and his Battalion were posted to Egypt, where they remained until March 1916, returning to Marseilles on the 7th and moved to the Western Front. On 17 May 1916 John suffered a severe Gun Shot Wound to the tibia and evacuated back to England a week later.

Silver War Badge

He was awarded ‘Silver War Badge’ [No. 217992] and the ‘King’s Certificate of Discharge’ and discharged on 2 April 1917, Kings Reg. 392 (XVI), “no longer physically fit for war service“.

Correspondence in John’s Service Papers show that he had to go to considerable trouble, entailing a number of letters and explanations of his wounds before he was finally awarded a pension of 12s. 6d. [62 p.] per week, rising to 13s. 9d. [68 p.] after his discharge.

This correspondence was conducted from Silver Street, Ruskington, his mother’s address.

about the Silver War Badge and Kings Certificate of Discharge.

John died on 21 October 1962 at 27 Myrtle Road, Elland, Yorkshire. He left £1792 5s 6d (£1792.27 – a relative value of about £34,000 today – 2015) to two spinsters, Alice and Mabel Ambler.

However, the 1939 Register has a ‘John Richard Ambler‘ living at 45 Beech Street, Elland, with wife, Betsy Ann, and daughter, Alice (born 2 January 1914). If this is ‘our’ John he married Betsy Ann Walker, in the January quarter 1913, but this would not match his next-of-kin details on his Service Papers. If so, Betsy Ann had died about a year before John, in the January quarter 1961, so, of course, would not be named in his will.

Private 14918 Arthur Thomas BAKER – when Arthur enlisted in the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1915 he was living on High Street, Ruskington, employed as a “Farm Waggoner“. At that time he stood 5 ft. 6½ ins. [1.69 m] tall and weighed 10 st. 0 lbs [63.5 kgs.]. He ha a ‘fresh‘ complexion and blue eyes, but was ‘bald‘.

Although Arthur was born in Ruskington about 3 June 1888, the son of Peter (Agricultural Labourer) and Tabitha (née Wakefield) Baker, the 1891 Census (RG 12/2577) shows them living at Rowston, Lincolnshire. He had two older sisters, Rose and Florence, and a younger sister, Harriett.

Perhaps because of the nature of Arthur’s father’s work the family had moved to Hale Magna, Great Hale, Lincolnshire, by 1901 (Census RG 13/3050). Between then and 1911 (Census RG 14/19618) the family moved into High Street, Ruskington. Arthur’s mother, Tabitha, died the following year, in July 1912, and his father, Peter, died in November 1915. They are buried together in Graves 39 and 40, Ruskington Cemetery.

Arthur attested at Lincoln on 11 January 1915 ” For the duration of the War ” and was posted to the 9th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. He underwent training at Swanwick and Whittington in Derbyshire, but, unfortunately, after just 103 days, he was discharged on 23 April 1915 as ” Not being likely to become an efficient soldier “. After being discharged Arthur was in receipt of a small Army pension.

In the June quarter 1925 Arthur married Henrietta Cadman and they had twins, John and Joyce, in 1928. Arthur died in 1960 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, aged 72.

Lieutenant Cecil BEATTIE – when Cecil enlisted he was living at School House, High Street, Ruskington, Lincolnshire (Census RG 14/19618).

He was born on 25 September 1894, the elder son of Charles (Schoolmaster) and Louisa (née Barrell) (Schoolmistress) Beattie of that address, located next to the village School.

Charles’ younger brother, Private 202413 Sydney Beattie, 4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, died on 19 October 1918 in the Military Hospital, Lincoln, possibly of the influenza epidemic, rife at the time.

The Silver War Badge

He enlisted as soon as War was declared, initially as Private 16636 King’s Liverpool Regiment. He was posted to France on 7 November 1915 and later promoted to Sergeant.

After Officer Training Cecil was posted to the Middlesex Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant, and whilst serving with them was wounded and awarded the Silver War Badge, No. B230747, and the ‘King’s Certificate of Discharge’, issued 12 November 1919

about the Silver War Badge and Kings Certificate of Discharge.

When Cecil married Ethel May Stone on 21 May 1918 at the Parish Church, Ducklington with Hardwick, Oxfordshire, his Marriage Certificate states his Rank as “Lieutenant, Middlesex Regiment“.

The 1939 Return shows Cecil living with his retired parents at 13A Whiteside Way, Thornton Cleveleys, with “Joan L. Beattie” and 12 year old Ian. Cecil was 64 when he died in the Ealing District, in the September quarter 1958.

Lance Corporal 3665 ? (George) Ernest BOSWORTH – Ernest was born at Cottesbrooke, Northants, in the December quarter 1888, the eldest son of Frank (Grocer) and Leonora Elizabeth (née Tee) Bosworth. The family moved to Manor Street, Ruskington, in the 1890s. Ernest had six younger siblings, Winifred, Walter, Edith, Frank, Dorothy and Lois (1911 Census RG 14/19618).

At that time, 1911 (Census RG 14/19682) George Ernest was living at 3 Edward Street, Grantham, a lodger of the ‘Skirrey’ family and employed as a “Engineers Labourer“. It is likely that Ernest died in the September quarter 1933, in East Retford, Notts., aged 44.

His parents remained in Ruskington until their deaths and in 1939 had retired and were living on Pinfold Lane. Frank died in November 1952, aged 88, and Leonora in January 1956, aged 89. The are buried side-by-side in Ruskington Cemetery, New Plot, North Border, Graves 110 and 111.

Ernest enlisted in the 3/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment early in 1915 and was trained at Lincoln. He went on to Strenshall and undertook a course as a machine-gunner. The 3/4th was formed as a home base on 1 June 1915. On 8 April 1916 it became the 4th Reserve Battalion.

By 1901 (Census RG 13/3048) the family had moved to Chestnut House, Ruskington and in 1911 (Census RG 14/19618) Fred was employed assisting his father in his “Auctioneer and Corn Merchant” business.

William Brown lived in the village until his death in December 1935 and his wife, Annie, Frederick’s mother, until January 1939. They are buried together in Graves 53 and 55, New Plot, West Border, Ruskington Cemetery. The 1939 Return shows that their son, now calling himself ‘William Frederick‘ continued to live at the same address – “The Chestnuts”, Station Road, Ruskington, with his wife, Violet Spence (née Hubbard), who he married in the March quarter 1916.

Fred enlisted in the Army Service Corps as a Supervisor in the Nottingham District. Fred was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in June 1915 and took charge as Purchasing Officer for Derbyshire. On 4 July 1918 he was posted to Mesopotamia.

Fred died in Horncastle, Lincolnshire in the December quarter 1965, aged 75. His wife was 80 years old when she died in the Fairlawns Nursing Home, Woodhall Spa, on 6 June 1976.

Private 241326 Arthur CAWDRON – was born about 31 January 1882, the youngest son of Thomas (Machinist) and Sarah (née Proctor) Cawdron. He had 5 older siblings, George, William, John, Lucy and Florence.

Arthur’s mother, Sarah, died in June 1889 and is buried in Plot A, Grave 78, Ruskington Cemetery. Two years later (1891 Census RG 12/2577) the family were living at North Searle, Ruskington. In the December quarter 1892 Thomas re-married, Mary Ann Massingham, and by the time of the 1901 Census (RG 13/3048) Arthur was the only child still living at home on North Searle, employed as a ‘Apprentice Joiner‘.

When he enlisted, however, Arthur was living at High Street, Ruskington. At that time he stood 5 ft. 3¾ ins [1.62 m] tall and weighed 8 st. 7lbs. [54 kgs]. His father, Thomas, was also dead by then and was buried next to his first wife in Grave 79.

Arthur enlisted at Chatham, Kent, into the Royal Engineers on 8 December 1915 and was posted to the Reserve. He attested and joined for duty in No. 1 Dispersal Unit on 11 February 1917. A month later Arthur was posted to 487 East Anglian Company, stationed at Darlington.

On 9 July 1918 he was posted to 442nd Glamorgan Field Company, R.E., and on 8 January 1919 posted to ‘J’ Company R.E. at Chatham, before discharge to ‘Z’ Class Reserve ‘Army of Occupation‘ on 12 March 1919. There is nowhere in Arthur’s Service Record to indicate that he served abroad.

On 10 May 1930 Arthur married Ellen Elizabeth Savage, at Reading, Berkshire. They had one son, Sydney Arthur. However, Arthur died in the March quarter 1936, aged 54.

Private Arthur Frank COCK – was born in the December quarter 1891, the son of Francis (Frank) [Joiner] and Ellen Louisa [‘Nellie’] (née Chopping) Cock of Post Office Street, Ruskington (see photo below – left – sourced from Family History website). Arthur had an older sister, Francis Edith, and two younger brothers, Charles [see below] and Albert. In 1911 (Census RG 14/19618) Arthur was employed as an ‘Apprentice Joiner’.

He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in June 1915 and trained at Ruislip. Before enlistment he was working as an apprentice joiner to Messrs. W. Pattinson and Sons. There is, however, no Service Record for Arthur, nor Medal Index Card.

Frank & Louisa Cock

After the War Arthur married Flora Chamberlain in the March quarter 1922, in the Bourne, Lincolnshire, District. The family seem to have settled in the Scilly Isles and had two children, Gertrude and Samuel.

Arthur died on 20 March 1965 in Kingston General Hospital, Kingston-Upon-Hull. He left £2,331 to his widow, Flora. [About £42,000 today – 2015] They were living at 7 Ferriby High Road, North Ferriby, Yorkshire, at the time.

His parents, Frank and Louisa, died within a week of each other in February 1933 and rest side-by-side in Graves 1 and 2, of the New Cemetery extension, North Border.

Source: Cock family tree on ‘Ancestry.co.uk’.

Corporal 964 (82186) Charles COCK, M.M. – was born in the March quarter 1894, (although his Service Papers suggest a few days before Christmas 1893). He was the son of Francis (Frank) [Joiner] and Ellen Louisa [‘Nellie’] (née Chopping) Cock of Post Office Street, Ruskington, and the younger brother of Arthur (see above). In 1911 (Census RG 14/19618) Charles was employed as an ‘Apprentice Printer’, employed by Morton and Sons, Sleaford.

Charles was a tall man, standing 5 ft. 11 ins. [1.80 m.] in 1911 when enlisting, see below. He had brown eyes, dark brown hair and a ‘dark’ complexion. Strangely, he also had a tattoo of a Scottish thistle on his left forearm!

Charles was serving as a Territorial with the 4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, having enlisted, aged 17 years 9 months, on 10 May 1911. He was at the Battalion’s annual camp when War broke out. Charles was embodied on 5 August 1914 and posted to France, landing at Le Havre on 26 February 1915, and served as a stretcher bearer.

He was discharged on the termination of his first engagement on 30 May 1916, after being returned to England on the 12th after hospitalisation for a septic thumb. He had been in France 1 year 300 days. His character was described as: “Very Good“. Charles was re-called for Service on 3 October 1916, being posted again to the Lincolnshire Regiment, with a new Service Number, 82186.

Military Medal

On 11 December 1916 Charles transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, and was promoted to Corporal. On 4 March 1917 he sailed from Folkestone to Boulogne and was posted to 194 Company, 23rd Battery, joining his Unit at Camiers on the 5th. Charles was awarded the Military Medal for “Bravery in the Field“. (London Gazette, 28 September 1917).

Charles was discharged to the Army Reserve, on Demobilisation, on 19 March 1919, and a year later (30 March 1920) ‘discharged on cessation’.

In March 1925 Charles applied for a post in ‘The Colonial Government Service‘ and the Officer I/c Records of the Machine Gun Corps received a request for a reference. In reply, again Charles’ character was described as: “Very Good” and ” … nothing of an adverse nature is recorded against him.“. It is not known if he took up any Appointment.

There is no record of Charles having married and he died in the March quarter 1956 in Norwich.

Charles COOK – currently nothing has been found to identify the Charles Cook whose photograph appeared in the local press in 1915.

More research will be on-going to identify the family and service details of this local man.

The photograph suggests he was enlisted in the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy.

Private S4/090754 Joseph Henry CORBY – was born on 8 June 1896, the eldest son of Henry (Chimney Sweep) and Jane (née Cater) Corby.

Ten years later (1911 Census RG 14/19618) the family were at the same address and another son, Fred, had been added. By 1915, however, they had moved to High Street.

Joseph enlisted in the Army Service Corps before the outbreak of War, in April 1914, and after completing his training at Aldershot and was posted to France on 3 August 1915. The ‘S4’ part of his Service Number shows that he served in the Supply section of the ASC, and was part of Kitchener’s Fourth New Army, and was probably posted to the Labour Corps.

In the September quarter 1920 Joseph married Priscilla Baguley Warrington, probably in Heckington, Lincolnshire, and they had two daughters, Dorothy and Joan.

The 1939 Return shows Joseph (Butcher) and Priscilla living at ‘Tremayne’, Westcliffe, Ruskington, next door to his brother, Fred and his wife, Phyllis.

[Their daughter, Joan Mary (Carter) who died in January 2005, is buried with them.]

Private 6/10834 John CUTLER – was the son of Fred (Fish Dealer) and Elizabeth (née Williamson) Cutler of High Street, Ruskington. He was born in Mettingham Village, Lincolnshire, in the March quarter 1880 and John had three older siblings, George William, Mary Elizabeth and Edith, and two younger, Annie and Frederick.

John’s mother died in on 28 February 1885 and his father re-married, Eliza Roberts, the following year. They had another six children.

By 1901 the family had moved to open a fish shop in High Street, Ruskington, where the family was also living in 1911. John, however, had joined the Army by 1901.

John served in the South African (2nd Boer) War with his Regiment, the Yorks and Lancasters, which took part in the Relief of Ladysmith. After that he was transferred to the Army Reserve and John had just completed his time in the Reserve when War was declared in August 1914.

He re-joined his Regiment on 11 August 1914 and was posted with it to the Dardanelles on 2 July 1915 with the 6th (Service) Battalion. The following day, 3rd, John’s Battalion sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay on 6 August 1915.

In the next 4 months John’s Battalion lost 205 Officers and men, killed in action or died of their wounds, 74 in the last 10 days of August alone. The Battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli on 9/10 December 1915, and moved to Egypt, via Imbros. They moved to France in July 1916. During the Battle of The Somme John’s Battalion fought in The Battle of Flers-Courcelette and The Battle of Thiepval.

Later in the War John transferred to the Army Service Corps – No. 309606 – as a Driver. He was discharged on 11 April 1919, under Section 392 (xvi) i.e. “no longer physically fit for war service“, and received the Silver War Badge, No. B.349952.

… about the Silver War Badge

No record has been found regarding John being married or where he lived in his later life. His father and step-mother remained in the village until their deaths – Eliza in March 1927, aged 72, and Fred, aged 89, in January 1939. They are buried in adjacent Graves 68 and 70 of the Old Plot, West Border of Ruskington Cemetery.

Private 21058 Samuel DAYBLES – was born on 15 December 1884, the son of ‘Mrs J H Daybles’. In 1891 (Census RG 12/2577) 6 year old Samuel was living at the home of his grandparents, Samuel (Farm Labourer) and Elizabeth Daybles, at the High Street, Ruskington. Two of their sons were living there also, George and Harry.

Ten years later (1901 Census RG 13/3048) Samuel was still living with his grandparents, now on Post Office Street, and also with two of their sons, William and George. It is probably safe to assume, therefore, that his father was George Daybles.

In the September quarter 1906 Samuel married Gertrude Corby, in Ruskington [Gertrude was the elder sister of John Henry Corby – see above]. Around 1908 they moved to live at 21 New Street, Catcliffe Orgreave, Yorks. (1911 Census RG 14/28042 – where he was recorded as working as a “Horse keeper – Underground” – presumably the coal mining industry) They had two sons, Henry and Charles.

Local press reported that Samuel was a member of the St John’s Ambulance, at Rotherham, for 6 years, i.e. from 1909 when he moved to Yorkshire. He was called up, through that Association, to join the Royal Army Medical Corps and in July 1915 was reported as: “… attached to the Fulham Military Hospital, Hammersmith.”

Without his Service papers it is impossible to know precisely where Samuel served, although he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, showing he did serve overseas.

The 1939 Return shows Samuel and Gertrude had returned to Ruskington and were living in the Council Houses. He was employed as a ‘Bricklayer’. Samuel died in Lincoln (Hospital?) in October 1946 (Buried 26th) and Gertrude in August 1954 (Buried 6th), in the Sleaford area, probably still in Ruskington. They now lie in adjacent Graves D.136 and 137, Ruskington Cemetery New Plot.